Resource information
The Tenth Development Plan of the Republic of Turkey is a National Plan with a cross-sectoral approach and its duration is 4 years between 2014 and 2020. The main objectives of the Plan are: a) to improve the production level and the GDP; b) enhance the welfare and the living standards of citizens; c) to establish a social and administrative structure where equal opportunity is offered through effective high quality public services; d) to implement effective and equitable health policies; e) improving agriculture sector; f) to ensure an effective land and water recourse management and disaster management; g) to improve environmental protection.The Plan sets out a cross-sectoral approach regarding food security. It first underlines the underlying reasons leading to food security, such as the decline in farm lands and increasing food demand. The Plan further sets out several policies regarding different aspects and sectors to ensure food security. These policies are: increasing irrigation areas, increasing the quality and quantity of agriculture lands, increasing production areas allocated to good agricultural practices, afforestation, increasing the percentage of certified cereals, achieving self-sufficiency ratio of oil-seeds. The Plan also provides for improving, effective stock management; diminishing the losses along the production, marketing and consumption chain; strengthening administrative and technical capacity related to the market regulation and effective use of foreign trade tools will be provided by taking into account stability in product markets and farmer incomes to ensure food security in the country.The Plan ensures that the agriculture sector will have an effective organization and high productivity paying attention to utilize natural resources in a sustainable manner. Especially the production of certified cereals and oil seeds will be increased. Compliance between the crop pattern and water potential will be considered. In animal husbandry sector; improvement of beef cattle and sheep breeding will be given priority. Production of pure bred cattle will be increased. In the fisheries sector, resource management will be based on scientific data and will be carried out efficiently. Environmental sustainability will be taken into consideration in the aquaculture activities. New policies will be developed and implemented regarding afforestation and rehabilitation of forests. Capacity to fight against forest fires will be improved. A planning approach, taking into account the economic, social and ecological functions of forests, will be adopted. Regarding natural resources management the Plan sets out that the preservation and development of quantity and quality of water and land resources, and development of a management structure that provides sustainable use of these resources, especially in the highly demanding agriculture sector.The main objective of rural development policy is to improve the living and working conditions of the rural society in their own locality by strengthening rural economy and employment, developing human resources and alleviating poverty. The production and employment structure of the rural economy will be diversified with non-agricultural economic activities such as food industry and small scale production. Furthermore rural development supports will be provided in a way that would improve competitiveness in agriculture. Involvement of women in the decision making processes, increasing their employment, education and skills level will be ensured. The best interest of the children will be considered and their wellbeing will be supported and their access to social services, particularly education and health will be improved. Worst forms of child labor such as paid employment in mobile and seasonal agriculture works apart from family work will be eliminated.The plan sets forth that advanced technologies will be used in agriculture. The infrastructural problems will be resolved. The international competitiveness of the sector will be increased by its demand driven production structure. The effectiveness of agricultural businesses will be increased on the basis of business size with sufficient level of income according to the production type, considering the social structure of the sector. Land fragmentation will be prevented and a well-functioning agricultural land market will be developed. Importance will be given and action will be taken regarding Erosion control. Coordination between public institutions on land consolidation activities, especially those related to irrigation and transportation will be maintained by enabling the agricultural land development services. Transition to the closed irrigation systems will be accelerated by renewing the existing channels and classical systems at the water transmission and distribution facilities. Agricultural insurance schemes will be expanded by broadening their current scope. Export markets for agricultural products will be expanded, support programs considering production stage will be implemented with the aim of exporting goods based on demand driven quality and quantities. Stability in product markets and farmer incomes will be ensured. Cooperation and integration among agricultural and industrial enterprises will be ensured, value added content and exports of local and traditional products will be increased. Agricultural information systems will be integrated to enable their joint utilization. Technical education will be given and extension services related to agriculture will be improved. Priority will be assigned to development of high value added products, protection of genetic resources, breeding activities, research activities on nanotechnology and biotechnology; establishment of new agriculture and food techno-parks and sectoral technology platforms will be ensured. Supervision of reliability of agricultural and processed agricultural products will be improved; an accredited control and monitoring system based on risk assessment will be established. Biosafety criteria will be strictly applied. Existing regional support programs will be continued in animal husbandry. Farm-Oriented Preventive Veterinary Medicine System and One Health Policy including animal welfare measures will be implemented. The Plan further underlines the importance of renewable energy and states that environment friendly practices in production and services such as renewable energy, eco-efficiency and cleaner production technologies will be supported and developing and branding of new environment friendly products will be encouraged.The Policy addresses the risk of environmental pollution and the negative effects of climate change by several different approaches and sets out that environmental sensitivity and life quality will be improved. Practices such as waste and emission reduction, energy, water and resource efficiency, recycling, prevention of noise and visual pollution, usage of environment friendly material will be promoted. Environment friendly practices in production and services such as renewable energy, eco-efficiency and cleaner production technologies will be supported. Adapting and combating climate change will be maintained in line with the principles of “common but differentiated responsibilities” and “respective capabilities”, while considering national circumstances.
